Victorian government finalizes planning reforms for high-density housing near transport hubs in Melbourne
Consensus Summary
The Victorian government has finalized planning reforms to increase housing density near transport hubs in Melbourne, allowing buildings of up to 20 storeys in select parts of Brunswick and Coburg. The changes, based on feedback from over 12,500 Victorians, apply to 25 of 60 activity centres, including suburbs like Brighton, Hawthorn, and Oakleigh, with height limits varying between 6 and 20 storeys depending on location. The government aims to create capacity for 300,000 homes by 2051, though a Grattan Institute report suggests only about 110,000 are financially feasible. Buildings meeting planning rules in core zones will be automatically approved, streamlining the approval process. Opposition Leader Jess Wilson has pledged to scrap the plan if elected, favoring local council control and scaled-down developments. Some areas, like Oakleigh’s Eaton Mall, saw height limits reduced from draft proposals, while others like Brunswick and Coburg saw increases. The reforms have sparked debate, with local rallies opposing the changes and differing views on the feasibility and impact of high-density housing.
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Key details reported by multiple sources:
- The Victorian government finalized planning controls for 25 of 60 activity centres or transport zones, including Brighton, Hawthorn, West Footscray, Heidelberg, Thornbury, Oakleigh, Middle Brighton, and Kew Junction, to increase housing density near transport hubs
- The finalized maps allow buildings of up to 20 storeys in select parts of Brunswick and Coburg (Melbourne’s north), while other areas like Middle Brighton have height limits of up to 12 storeys
- The draft maps for Coburg and Brunswick previously proposed a maximum height limit of 16 storeys, which was increased to 20 storeys in the finalized plans
- The government received feedback from over 12,500 Victorians, which directly shaped the final plans, including changes to height limits and greener streetscapes
- The state government aims to create capacity for 300,000 homes by 2051 through these reforms, though a Grattan Institute report suggests only about 110,000 are financially feasible under current conditions
- Buildings meeting planning rules in core activity centre zones will be 'deemed to comply,' meaning they cannot be sent to VCAT for review
- Opposition Leader Jess Wilson has vowed to scrap the government’s activity centre plan if elected, instead proposing scaled-down developments in middle suburbs and returning powers to local councils
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- The finalized maps show planning provisions for buildings of up to 20 stories near Coburg station and Brunswick shopping complex (Barkly Square)
- Height limits in Oakleigh’s Eaton Mall area were reduced from 12 to 6 storeys, and in Kew Junction, limits on High Street were reduced from 12 to 8 or 10 storeys
- The government’s plan contrasts with the Liberal opposition’s proposal to supercharge high-density development within Melbourne’s CBD and inner suburbs instead of activity centres
- Planning Minister Sonya Kilkenny stated, 'No change is going to happen overnight; this will happen over 25 years, so the change will be gradual'
- The 25 finalized zones include Brighton, Hawthorn, West Footscray, Heidelberg, and Thornbury, with 10 pilot zones already finalized last year and 23 proposed zones still under consultation
- The finalized maps for Oakleigh, Middle Brighton, and Kew Junction have tweaked boundaries but maintain maximum height limits between 12 and 16 storeys (excluding Brunswick/Coburg)
- Core areas of activity centres closest to shops and stations have height limits up to 20 storeys, while districts a few streets back are generally limited to three to four storeys
- The activity centres program includes middle-ring suburbs like Carnegie, inner east suburbs of Hawthorn, Glenferrie, and Kew, and bayside suburb Hampton
- The government says the train and tram zones will help unlock capacity for more than 300,000 homes by 2051, though a Grattan Institute report estimates only about 110,000 are financially feasible
- Opposition Leader Jess Wilson stated, 'Our plan will deliver the housing Victoria needs through greater density, where it is council land and supported by local communities'
Contradictions
Conflicting information between sources:
- ABC reports height limits in Oakleigh’s Eaton Mall area were reduced from 12 to 6 storeys, while THEAGE does not mention this specific reduction
- ABC states the finalized zones include Brighton, Hawthorn, West Footscray, Heidelberg, and Thornbury, but THEAGE does not list these suburbs explicitly in its summary
- ABC highlights that the Liberal opposition wants to supercharge high-density development in Melbourne’s CBD and inner suburbs, while THEAGE describes the Coalition’s plan as returning powers to local councils with scaled-down developments in middle suburbs
- ABC quotes Premier Jacinta Allan saying, 'These reforms cut delays and give clear rules — so more millennials get into a home faster,' while THEAGE omits this specific quote
- THEAGE notes that height limits in Oakleigh, Middle Brighton, and Kew Junction remain between 12 and 16 storeys (excluding Brunswick/Coburg), but ABC does not explicitly state this for all three zones
Source Articles
Density push to allow for 20-storey towers in Melbourne's north
The Victorian government has released its final planning controls for 25 activity centres in Melbourne, with tweaks meaning lower height limits in parts of Kew and Oakleigh and higher heights in parts...
Melbourne’s inner-north set for 20 storey towers in high-rise push
Final maps for 25 of the state’s “activity centres” are set to lock in new building heights and development boundaries across the city....